Omaha daily bee., 1887-01-03
A NEW YEARS SERMON.
Hev. Il. NJ Houses Morning Sermon
at the NJ. f. Church

L, M
House, pastor OF the First NJ. f.. church
The sermon was appropriate to new
years and was based on the fifth verse
thirteenth chapter, ii. Corinthians: "Ex
anime yourselves, whether ye be in the
faith prove your own selves"
we haye not the time nor the inclina.
ton TO enter upon a discussion of church
creeds as built by human Interpretations
Consideration of the shifting remnant
IN theology might be amusing and enter.
tanning but am convinced il would be
proitless. The things which "are
shaken" are all attractive TO q certain
class or individuals, who seem TO delight
IN Deing able to push over a cob house
already tottering and whose greatest re.
ligious. enjoyment is TO belch forth
through their tin horns in the midst of
such stupendous desolation.
In the history OF revealed religion il is
not difficult TO trace nucleus of truth
winch has been permanent through all
ages and dispensations, and also to vote
,he mutations Of the fringes, or shifting
remnant, that forms the corona of the
soId body of truth. The history of
christianity exhibits the same law of
permanence at the centre, as of
an island in the changing
sea amid the iiux and refluX of the tides,
Our little systems have their day. They
have their day, and cease to be-" That
part which cannot be shaken, and is
rooted in the essential nature of man and
God. You find IL in the devout Hebrew.
the sanity Catholic, the faithful Calvan.
ist and the apostolic Armenian.
we have raked in The dust for ages;
enough. IF thy heart be as my heart
give me thy hand"
II you have any more straws to split,
make bonfire of them. Give me the
simple, child like faith which builds I'M
heroes and saints, chui ches and empires.
DO not couple on to graveyard. Hitch
your wagon to STAR We are on the
upgrade IN this age; the brakes arc Off
and the throttle is wide open Stop your
whining and get aboad There is per.
petual temptation to bigotry; TO feel that
we who are the heirs of all the ares, pos
soss the whole truth and nothing but the
truth Let us learn the lesson of charity
and forcbearance: o, for the faith that |
strength is u life and death grip upon the |
doctrines of grace, the Fundamentals |
OF redemption. So much with regard to |
the faith. Let us turn our thoughts to
the examination urged upon us. 1t is the
examination of self.
Self knowledge is rs necessary as it IS
important, duty which was held in as
high esteem in the school of Socrates as
IN that Of Christi Know thyself' was
one OF the sayings of the wise men of
Grcoce. 1t was ascribed to Solon, the
wisest OF them all, and cut upon the en-
TRANCE of Apollo's Delphic temple.
know thyself." j venture the asscr-
ton that we are not acquainted with our |
selves. We know other people to per.
lection. We can tell every fault and fail.
uro in them. If our estimates of each
other are to have any weight in fixing our
future destiny, | advise you there is hone |
Ior very small portion of the human
race. suggest this plan, get self into
the same scales by which we have been
weighing other people. One good long
look at our own meannecses will prepare
us to loos for few good things in our
neighbors. AS TO when sclfeXamination {
ought to be practced, | answer: ,
l. Daily, Short settlements make long
!rlenus. No man can accurately {
life or average strength of his character
without daily settlements. Talk with
yourself and bring self to talk with God
1T the opening gates of day, and ere YOU /
give, yourself to refreshing sleep, take L
'ne long look toward eternity and make y
'elf answer for the items on the day book. g
.. Let there be yearly examination. .
Sc rs wise as the business man who care. Il Il
ullY takes an annual inventory. The :
banging bells of time have but lust runp !.
'ut the death OF one, and, with quickened
troke, the birth OF another year. Thus,
nc coming ana the gong, touch hands
or moment, crowd each other Tor the
pace OF heartbeat and then separate cl
orcver, one to run the race the other to o.
o down IN silence among the ages of the Il
asst. ! HI
And as they thus meet to exchange b,
heir greeting, and then part forever, it g,
! the highest wisdom for us to summon r
nc days that are dead with their record in
rights and wrongs before us and 90 p,
yer the account carefully, in the pres. In
nee OF our heavenly Father alone. &C
Inc past year has sung sweet hymns
our ears. 1t has put the praises of
cd into our mouths. 1t has rooted our
ays with soft skies, out of which
birds have flooded us
ith music. 1t has strewn our telds with
tstling grain, and laden our orchard
Dughs with clustering fruit. 1t has
ade autumn brilliant with waving ban.
rrs OF gold, and purple, and orange.
has lighted our winter fires and kept
em burning warm and chccrily. 1t has
leltered us from storm, from sickness,
ld death. IL has filled our cup with
'odness and mercy so that it runneth
'er with blessings. To some it brought
NV and then clouded skies cups of sor-
w, disappointments and defeats; there
9 many graves IN the valley of the grey
year, and it may be some of our dar.
lgs are lying there under the snow.
., |
ghts OF pam, days of bereavement-yea
en- these were blessed angels, though
cir faces We're yelled in gloom.
Trust not the future; seize the present.
ie light of hope may beam from the eve
the year ahead, dream-like promises !
ny lure you on in the beaten path of I
glect, but If you would come to the end
'S1 with no evil things written against
u in its calendar. with no shadow, great v
small upon its face, which your lapse a
S caused, anchor yourself anew to the I,
'ck of Ages.
Here the preacher cited occasional as
II as stated times for selfexamnation; c
AT the mile stones in life choices, (2) !"
} presence Of God S affective dispensa.
ms, (3) and revival seasons.
This duty should be done prayerfully
d in the light of Gods word The -
erase level of human motive and
ion, tho standard of the multitude. is
} low. Nor is the common measure of M
lracter in the church safe staddard. I'LL
res and wheat grow together till har. 90
u. Nor Is sincerity the standard of in
,ence.. Wemay err through ignorance
I again our ignorance may be culpa- n,
. In examining self keep in mind IN
4 responsibility reaches up to the VII
a Nf 1